


Too Late

by President_Zebra



Category: Stargirl (TV 2020)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Future, Angst, F/M, Kinda, quarantine au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-27
Updated: 2020-08-27
Packaged: 2021-03-06 19:07:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 762
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26133940
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/President_Zebra/pseuds/President_Zebra
Summary: Ten years after the JSA disbands, Rick shows up on her doorstep.
Relationships: Beth Chapel/Rick Tyler
Comments: 12
Kudos: 19





	Too Late

**Author's Note:**

> So this is my first Hournite fic, so we'll see how this goes, I'd like to say a wonderful thank you to @gertstarlight and @chaoticbi-cheesecake for beta-ing this, you're help was very much appreciated!

Beth took off her face mask as she put the takeout containers on the counter. With a box of Lysol wipes, she started cleaning the containers of Chinese food. 

She kicked off her shoes and placed them on her shoe rack. Her apartment wasn’t huge. A small one-bedroom at the south end of town, only a few short blocks from the hospital. She had moved on from the JSA quickly after its dispansion, trading in her cuffed jeans and sweaters for blouses and pencil skirts. 

Beth would normally cook dinner as much as she could, but she had just finished an 18-hour shift and was just ready to collapse and go to sleep. Her oven had been empty for days with no sign of being opened any time soon. 

She finished up her Chinese food, placing her dishes in the sink, not a care that they wouldn’t be washed tonight. She changed out of her bloody scrubs and into her pajamas when she heard a knock on the door. She wasn’t expecting anyone at this hour, especially in the middle of a global pandemic.

Beth walked to the door, going up on her tiptoes to peer through the peephole. The second she saw him, the world stood still. Her breath caught in her throat as she backed away from the door.

It had been years since she had last seen him, high school graduation to be exact. Beth wasn’t sure of what to do next. She walked up to the door, putting on her mask as she slowly unlocked the door.

“Rick?” She asked quietly. He looked up at the mention of his name, taking a step closer to her. Beth, pushing her glasses higher on the bridge of her nose, looked at him questioningly. 

“It’s been a while.” He told her, sighing through his mask. He held a duffel bag tucked under his arm. She could see the hourglass poking out of the bag’s side pocket.

“It has,” She agreed, running a hand over her upper arm. 

* * *

“What brings you back to Blue Valley?” Beth asked, taking a sip of her tea. Rick hid his head in his hands, running them through his hair.

“I lost my job,” He admitted. After graduation, Rick had left Blue Valley, and hadn’t looked back. Beth had said a tearful goodbye that afternoon, crying into his shoulder as he kissed her farewell. 

“What happened?” She asked sadly. Beth had friends and family who had been getting laid off, the pandemic had hit Blue Valley hard, The American Dream had shut down shortly after the close, and the Diner would soon share the same fate. 

Rick told her of how he lost his job, got evicted, and got on a train all in the same day.

“I came because I had nowhere else to go,” He whispered, “But I also came for you, Beth.” Beth looked up at him, she could see the bags under his eyes, and how he carried himself differently since high school. He seemed older, he  _ was  _ older, but, he was different.

“So what? You think you can just come racing back into my life after, what, ten years?” Beth almost shouted. Rick had never seen her like this, so _ angry.  _

His eyes were glassy, starting to pile up with tears, threatening to cascade down his cheek. She wasn’t sure what to do, he looked at her, with a passion behind his eyes that she hadn’t seen in almost a decade. 

“I-”

“Rick, I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have yelled at you, but what do you expect?” She paused, sucking in a deep breath. “I’m not just going to fully embrace you with open arms, I’m sorry but you had your chance.” Beth stood up, walking over to the kitchen and putting her mug in the sink.

“You broke my heart,” She came back over, “I thought we were-”

“Forever,” He completed. He reached up, taking her hands in his. “I know, believe me I know, It was the biggest mistake of my life,”

“Well, you had your chance,” Beth released her hands from his. “You can sleep on the couch, then tomorrow I’ll help you find someplace,”

“Okay, thank you,” He nodded, leaning back on the couch.

Beth smiled slightly and started walking down the hall to her bedroom. 

“Good night, Rick,” Beth stated quietly.

“Good night,”

Rick lay awake, looking up at the ceiling. He thought of all that could’ve been, and all that never was. He thought of the unspoken words he wishes he’d told her before,

_ I love you. _


End file.
